Expect the Unexpected Erfahrungsbericht von Amber Yarnell Wintersemester 2008/09

Transcription

1 Expect the Unexpected Erfahrungsbericht von Amber Yarnell Wintersemester 2008/09 Heimathochschule: Bethany College Gasthochschule: Pädagogische Hochschule Heidelberg Studienfächer: Deutsch/Spanisch Studienziel: Bachelor of Arts (Deutsch/Spanisch) Semester: 5 Zeitpunkt: Februar 2009

2 I received the Baden-Württemberg Stipendium for the fall semester of After finding out that I had been accepted, I had to take a number of steps to prepare for the semester ahead. There was paperwork to complete; there were classes to take; and there were language skills to hone. Every time one travels to a country, whether one is familiar with that country or not, one should always be ready to expect the unexpected. Many factors went into my preparation for my semester abroad in Heidelberg. The first step was meeting the requirements of the German major at my home college. This means that one must take a certain number of courses before he or she can study abroad in that language. Not only did I study German at the middle schooland high school level, but I also took a series of German language courses at Bethany that included speaking labs. The speaking labs gave me hands-on experience with the language. I also took the required courses called Civilization of Germany and Conversation and Composition. In the two months that I was in Germany, I participated in an intensive language course at the Goethe Institute in Schwäbisch Hall. Then continuing into the next month, I lived with a German family, which further improved my German language skills. For my last step of preparation before attending the Pädagogische Hochschule (PH) I attended one more intensive language course in Schwäbisch Hall.

3 The detailed paperwork I had to fill out for the scholarship, for the PH, and for the city of Heidelberg, was mountainous, but well worth the effort. While attending the PH- Heidelberg, I had a positive and enjoyable experience. I took a total of eight courses. Most of those courses were in the subjects of teaching German or teaching English as a foreign language. I also, took courses that focused on teaching a foreign language to children in elementary school. I really enjoyed these courses. Through these courses, my vocabulary increased, my listening skills improved, and I gained a better understanding of the mechanics of the German language. My skills would not have improved so dramatically had I not studied abroad at the PH. In aspects of comparison between Bethany College and the PH, there are some differences. In short, the school systems operate differently in these two countries. For example, the availability of the professors is not the same. I find at Bethany it is easier to contact your professors. Both the Bethany professors and the PH Heidelberg professors have office hours, but I find that Bethany professors are easier to contact when I have questions. I also find that at Bethany the relationship with the professors and the atmosphere in general is a lot more like a family. It seems at times friendlier. Nonetheless, the experience that I had at PH was positive and was not that hard to adjust to. The German university system as a whole functions very well. I always felt that if I had any problems, those problems would be taken care of. The people who work for the university were very friendly and willing to help. Whenever I had any questions, information was available or someone was there to assist me. In general, the university is very competent, and I had a positive experience. My stay in Germany was unforgettable.

4 One of the best things about my experience in Heidelberg was the Akademische Auslandsamt (AAA) for the foreign exchange students. Whenever I had financial problems or needed help preparing for my next study abroad semester, I got that help through the AAA. One thing that I enjoyed most was having a God parent that contacted me before my arrival. My God parents helped other students and me to get settled in and organized. They also had various activities that helped us to get to know the city and to see parts of Germany. Frau Schön, the head of the AAA, has a competent, friendly staff. Frau Schön herself is very helpful to all the foreign exchange students. To me, she was wonderful; it was like having a family member in Germany. She has built herself a proficient staff and is capable of dealing with just about anything. I want to emphasize again that I was very impressed with the AAA and appreciated everything that they had to offer.

5 Another thing I thoroughly enjoyed was the variety of different sports the university had to offer through uni-sport. Uni-sport offers many different sports and fitness activities. One does not have to be athletic to participate; it is for everyone. Unisport offers anything from soccer, to dance, to yoga, and karate. I was fortunate enough to be able to try a little bit of everything. I did end up playing soccer for the University of Heidelberg women s soccer team. This was a really great experience because I play soccer for my college at home. Furthermore, it gave me the chance to meet new people and learn more German. I think uni- a lot from it. sport is good for exchange students because they are able to work on communication skills and they learn while at the same time they have fun and make new friends. Playing soccer was a positive experience. I am very lucky to have had that opportunity and gained Another activity that I thoroughly enjoyed was riding my bike. I not only used my bike as a form of transportation, but I also used it as an extracurricular activity. I rode on paths and all over the city of Heidelberg. I also enjoyed that in Germany in general and in Heidelberg in particular there are many areas for walking, running, and biking. Not only are activities important but a little bit of advice goes a long way. Creating a budget is a practical way of managing finances and becoming more selfsufficient. When it comes to traveling, we all know that it is not always easy. Not to mention that in Germany traveling by train is common. My first suggestion: when it comes to luggage in the German train stations, only take what you can carry. If you only

6 take what you can carry, then it will be a lot easier getting up and down the station s stairs. While packing your luggage, keep in consideration that most of the products that you use at home, you can buy while in Germany. First of all, things that you might be tempted to pack such as shampoo, lotion, and hairdryer can all be left at home because they will make your bag heavy. Secondly, lotion, shampoo, or anything with a lid could explode in your luggage. If you decide to take items like that, make sure that you buy the carry-on sizes at the store. Another piece of advice: while traveling, be certain that you have enough money for surprises. Make sure that you store your money in various places throughout your luggage and on your body. That way if your luggage is lost or stolen you will still have some cash to help you out. If you are carrying a lot of money, it is a good idea to put some of that money on a travel card. That way if the money is stolen, you can cancel the card. Then in most places, your money can be replaced. But the best advice I can offer is to take every opportunity that is given to you and learn something from it. Heidelberg had many things to offer. I suggest to anyone studying there to get to know the cityas quickly as possible so that you feel comfortable with your surroundings. Try to have an open mind about everything because you might not know what you will gain. Not only does Heidelberg have a lot to offer, but Germany itself does also. Germany is in a central location in Europe, which makes it nice for traveling to other places. Another thing to mention is not to be turned off by certain German correctness. For example, crossing the street while the light is red is considered bad manners in Germany. You might be scolded slightly. Also riding your bike without a light is not looked highly upon. You might also hear someone s opinion voiced in public areas. Not

7 only should you take the opportunities given to you, but you should also enjoy them. Enjoy the time that is given to you, and do not let little setbacks hold you up. You have to be willing to meet new people and be accepting of other cultures. However, that experience is different for everyone because everyone absorbs situations differently. For me, one of my most positive personal experiences was meeting new people. I think that getting to meet new people is great because you learn new cultures, languages, and things about yourself. I made many new friends from different countries while I was in Germany, and I was lucky enough to make a friendship that will last for the rest of my life. Another great, though at times difficult, experience is the growing pains that one usually goes through while abroad. I learned something new about myself and grew because I was put into so many situations that many other people may not have had to deal with. From that experience, I am better able to handle the situations that may have seemed stressful to handle before. This study abroad semester has made a huge impact and impression on my life. I think when anyone is coming from a different country they already have their personal impressions of how the foreign country is. That could also be categorized as stereotypes. I knew that Germany has many dialects; however, I came to notice that even in the region of Baden-Württemberg many such dialects existed. I noticed that with all the dialects, it is sometimes hard for Germans from region to region to understand each other. Another thing that always impresses me is how people from other countries are able to communicate. For example, the groups of exchange students that I studied with were

8 from all over Europe. Everyone spoke at different levels of German, however, we were all able to communicate with one another. Even if someone did not know a word in German, they searched for it in their language and tried to clarify the meaning. Another impression that I have is that no matter the weather, if it is a weekend, the German people are very active and enjoy doing outdoor activities. Even in the winter, they will be outside taking a walk along the river or in the woods. One thing that I thoroughly enjoyed is that many people use bikes as their form of transportation. I was very lucky in all that I got to experience. I feel that I got to do more than some. I was lucky enough to make a trip to Berlin where I saw Hoffenheim verses Hertha BSC in the Olympic Stadium. I went the Black Forrest. I got to experience the wonderful and relaxing Therme in Baden-Baden. I got to celebrate the New Year in a castle. I took a trip to Amsterdam. There I got to go to many museumsincluding, for example, the diamond museum and the purse museum, as well as museums dedicated to Vincent van Gogh and Rembrandt. Furthermore, I got to see Rembrandt s house. I am a better person because I got to experience all of these things. I look forward to going back to Germany and one day visiting Heidelberg again.

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